pioneers of the old south-第20章

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people。　It　was　ordered　in　1631：　〃That　there　bee　a　uniformitie　throughout
this　colony　both　in　substance　and　circumstance　to　the　cannons　and
constitutions　of　the　church　of　England　as　neere　as　may　bee；　and　that　every
person　yeald　readie　obedience　unto　them　uppon　penaltie　of　the　paynes　and
forfeitures　in　that　case　appoynted。〃　And；　indeed；　the　pains　and　forfeitures
threatened　were　savage　enough。

Official　Virginia；　loyal　to　the　Established　Church；　was　jealous　and　fearful
of　Papistry　and　looked　askance　at　Puritanism。　It　frowned　upon　these　and
upon　agnosticisms；　atheisms；　pantheisms；　religious　doubts；　and　alterations
in　judgmentupon　anything；　in　short；　that　seemed　to　push　a　finger　against
Church　and　Kingdom。　Yet　in　this　Virginia；　governed　by　Sir　William　Berkeley；
a　gentleman　more　cavalier　than　the　Cavaliers；　more　royalist　than　the　King；
more　churchly　than　the　Church；　there　lived　not　a　few　Puritans　and
Dissidents；　going　on　as　best　they　might　with　Established　Church　and　fiery
King's　men。　Certain　parishes　were　predominantly　Puritan；　certain　ministers
were　known　to　have　leanings　away　from　surplices　and　genuflections　and　to
hold　that　Archbishop　Laud　was　some　kin　to　the　Pope。　In　1642；　to　reenforce
these　ministers；　came　three　more　from　New　England；　actively　averse　to
conformity。　But　Governor　and　Council　and　the　majority　of　the　Burgesses　will
have　none　of　that。　The　Assembly　of　1643　takes　sharp　action。

For　the　preservation　of　the　puritie　of　doctrine　and　unitie　of　the　church；
IT　IS　ENACTED　that　all　ministers　whatsoever　which　shall　reside　in　the
collony　are　to　be　conformable　to　the　orders　and　constitutions　of　the　church
of　England；　and　the　laws　therein　established；　and　not　otherwise　to　be
admitted　to　teach　or　preach　publickly　or　privately。　And　that　the　Gov。　and
Counsel　do　take　care　that　all　nonconformists　upon　notice　of　them　shall　be
compelled　to　depart　the　collony　with　all　conveniencie。　And　so　in
consequence　out　of　Virginia；　to　New　England　where　Independents　were
welcome；　or　to　Maryland　where　any　Christian　might　dwell；　went　these　tainted
ministers。　But　there　stayed　behind　Puritan　and　nonconforming　minds　in　the
bodies　of　many　parishioners。　They　must　hold　their　tongues；　indeed；　and
outwardly　conformbut　they　watched　lynx…eyed　for　their　opportunity　and　a
more　favorable　fortune。

Having　launched　thunderbolts　against　schismatics　of　this　sort；　Berkeley；
himself　active　and　powerful；　with　the　Council　almost　wholly　of　his　party
and　the　House　of　Burgesses　dominantly　so；　turned　his　attention　to　〃popish
recusants。〃　Of　these　there　were　few　or　none　dwelling　in　Virginia。　Let　them
then　not　attempt　to　come　from　Maryland！　The　rulers　of　the　colony　legislated
with　vigor：　papists　may　not　hold　any　public　place；　all　statutes　against
them　shall　be　duly　executed；　popish　priests　by　chance　or　intent　arriving
within　the　bounds　of　Virginia　shall　be　given　five　days'　warning；　and；　if　at
the　end　of　this　time　they　are　yet　upon　Virginian　soil；　action　shall　be
brought　against　them。　Berkeley　sweeps　with　an　impatient　broom。

The　Kingdom　is　cared　for　not　less　than　the　Church　in　Virginia。　Any　and　all
persons　coming　into　the　colony　by　land　and　by　sea　shall　have　administered
to　them　the　Oath　of　Supremacy　and　llegiance。　〃Which　if　any　shall　refuse　to
take；〃　the　commander　of　the　fort　at　Point　Comfort　shall　〃committ　him　or
them　to　prison。〃　Foreigners　in　birth　and　tongue；　foreigners　in　thought；
must　have　found　the　place　and　time　narrow　indeed。

On　the　eve　of　civil　war　there　arose　on　the　part　of　some　in　England　a
project　to　revive　and　restore　the　old　Virginia　Company　by　procuring　from
Charles；　now　deep　in　troubles　of　his　own；　a　renewal　of　the　old　letters
patent　and　the　transference　of　the　direct　government　of　the　colony　into　the
hands　of　a　reorganized　and　vast　corporation。　Virginia；　which　a　score　of
years　before　had　defended　the　Company；　now　protested　vigorously；　and；　with
regard　to　the　long　view　of　things；　it　may　be　thought　wisely。　The　project
died　a　natural　death。　The　petition　sent　from　Virginia　shows　plainly　enough
the　pen　of　Berkeley。　There　are　a　multitude　of　reasons　why　Virginia　should
not　pass　from　King　to　Company；　among　which　these　are　worthy　of　note：　〃We
may　not　admit　of　so　unnatural　a　distance　as　a　Company　will　interpose
between　his　sacred　majesty　and　us　his　subjects　from　whose　immediate
protection　we　have　received　so　many　royal　favours　and　gracious　blessings。
For；　by　such　admissions；　we　shall　degenerate　from　the　condition　of　our
birth；　being　naturalized　under　a　monarchical　government　and　not　a　popular
and　tumultuary　government　depending　upon　the　greatest　number　of　votes　of
persons　of　several　humours　and　dispositions。〃

When　this　paper　reached　England；　it　came　to　a　country　at　civil　war。　The
Long　Parliament　was　in　session。　Stafford　had　been　beheaded；　the　Star
Chamber　swept　away；　the　Grand　Remonstrance　presented。　On　Edgehill　bloomed
flowers　that　would　soon　be　trampled　by　Rupert's　cavalry。　In　Virginia　the
Assembly　took　notice　of　these　〃unkind　differences　now　in　England；〃　and
provided　by　tithing　for　the　Governor's　pension　and　allowance；　which　were
for　the　present　suspended　and　endangered　by　the　troubles　at　home。　That　the
forces　banded　against　the　Lord's　anointed　would　prove　victorious　must　at
this　time　have　appeared　preposterously　unlikely　to　the　fiery　Governor　and
the　ultra…loyal　Virginia　whom　he　led。　The　Puritans　and　Independents　in
Virginiaestimated　a　little　earlier　at　〃a　thousand　strong〃　and　now；　for
all　the　acts　against　them；　probably　stronger　yetwere　to　be　found　chiefly
in　the　parishes　of　Isle　of　Wight　and　Nansemond；　but　had　representatives
from　the　Falls　to　the　Eastern　Shore。　What　these　Virginians　thought　of　the
〃unkind　differences〃　does　not　appear　in　the　record；　but　probably　there　was
thought　enough　and　secret　hopes。

In　1644；　the　year　of　Marston　Moor；　Virginia；　too；　saw　battle　and　sudden　and
bloody　death。　That　Opechancanough　who　had　succeeded　Powhatan　was　now　one
hundred　years　old；　hardly　able　to　walk　or　to　see；　dwelling　harmlessly　in　a
village　upon　the　upper　Pamunkey。　All　the　Indians　were　broken　and　dispersed；
serious　danger　was　not　to　be　thought　of。　Then；　of　a　sudden；　the　flame
leaped　again。　There　fell　from　the　blue　sky　a　massacre　directed　against　the
outlying　plantations。　Three　hundred　men；　women；　and　children　were　killed　by
the　Indians。　With　fury　the　white　men　attacked　in　return。　They　sent　bodies
of　horse　into　the　untouched　western　forests。　They　chased　and　slew　without
mercy。　In　1646　Opechancanough；　brought　a　prisoner　to　Jamestown；　ended　his
long　tale　of　years　by　a　shot　from　one　of　his　keepers。　The　Indians　were
beaten；　and；　lacking　such　another　leader；　made　no　more　organized　and
general　attacks。　But　for　long　years　a　kind　of　border　warfare　still　went　on。

Even　Maryland；　tolerant　and　just　as　was　the　Calvert　policy；　did　not
altogether　escape　Indian　troubles。　She　had　to　contend　with　no　such　able
chief　as　Opechancanough；　and　she　suffered　no　sweeping　massacres。　But　after
the　first　idyllic　year　or　so　there　set　in　a　small；　constant　friction。　So
fast　did　the　Maryland　colonists　arrive　that　soon　there　was　pressure　of
population　beyond　those　first　purchased　bounds。　The　more　thoughtful　among
the　Indians　may　well　have　taken　alarm　lest　their　villages　and
hunting…grounds　might　not　endure　these　inroads。　Ere　long　the　English　in
Maryland　were　placing　〃centinells〃　over　fields　where　men　worked；　and
providing　penalties　for　those　who　sold　the　savages　firearms。　But　at　no　time
did　young　Maryland　suffer　the　Indian　woes　that　had　vexed　young　Virginia。

Nor　did　Maryland　escape　the　clash　of　interests　which　beset　the　beginnings
of　representative　assemblies　in　all　proprietary　provinces。　The　second；　like
the　first；　Lord　Baltimore；　was　a　believer　in　kings　and　aristocracies；　in　a
natural　division　of　human　society　into　masters　and　men。　His　effort　was　to
plant　intact　in　Maryland　a　feudal　order。　He　would　be　Palatine；　the　King　his
suzerain。　In　Maryland　the　great　planters；　in　effect　his　barons；　should　live
upon　estates；　manorial　in　size　and　with　manorial　rights。　The　laboring　men
the　impecunious　adventurers　whom　these　greater　adventurers　brought　out
would　form　a　tenantry；　the　Lord　Proprietary's　men'